RAMSBOTTOM UNITED 3 PRESTWICH HEYS 2

SATURDAY 11TH OCTOBER 2025 MACRON CUP 2ND ROUND ATT:301

Report by Rick Barrett
Pictures by Bethany lee

A late header from Oscar Radcliffe was enough to see Ramsbottom United through to the third round of the Macron Cup with a 3-2 win against Prestwich Heys at the Harry Williams Riverside Stadium on Saturday.

Both teams came into this one in good form, especially Heys who were top of the form table with six wins and a draw from their last seven games, the last being an impressive 2-0 win at St Helens on Tuesday night, so you could say this was the tie of round.

Heys manager Ryan Hutchinson shuffled his pack a little bringing in full back Joe Camozzi, after injury, and additionally giving starts for Alfie Belcher and Mo Doro.

Prestwich started the quicker and were in front as early as the twelfth minute, an under hit back pass was seized on by in form striker Louis Holt who beat the on-rushing Rammy keeper Bradley Rose to the ball as it bounced invitingly for him to guide the ball into an empty net.

Heys continued their early pressure on eighteen minutes with a good move that put Alfie Belcher through, but his shot was saved by keeper Rose.

Back came the hosts though and they drew level on twenty minutes when a ball in from the right caused confusion in the Heys defence and Luke Shepton stabbed home past Heys keeper Lee White.

This prompted a spell of pressure from the home side, and they went ahead on twenty-eight minutes when Mane Walder took a corner on the right and managed to curl the ball past White straight into the net to the surprise of everyone in the crowd of 301.

Heys rallied with a couple of chances from Belcher, blasting one wide and then bringing a save out of keeper Rose and they levelled on forty-four minutes. A lovely cross from Takura Sambizi found the head of Holt who flicked a header into the bottom right corner, and we were all square at 2-2 going into the break after what had been an entertaining half.

After the break the game developed into a midfield battle as both teams tried to gain the advantage and chances proved few and far between. Belcher had a free kick saved by Rose on fifty-two minutes but in truth both sides struggled to reach the heights of the first half, though Luke Findlow did fire a chance wide of the far post on sixty-five minutes for the visitors.

Ryan Hutchinson made a few changes for Heys, which included Bryson Appleton and Luke Byron, in a bid to freshen things up but it was the hosts who were unlucky not to go ahead on eighty-one minutes when a cross from the right was sliced wide, and the ball was cleared on the follow up.

It looked very much like we were heading straight to a penalty shoot-out but a key moment on the stroke of ninety minutes changed all that. It started with Prestwich catching Ramsbottom on the break, Dre Taylor darting down the left had Josh Tinker unmarked on the edge of the box on the right but lost possession and the ball was swiftly cleared to the left to spark a Ramsbottom attack culminating in a Harvey Whyte cross findng the head of Oscar Radcliffe and the ball flew past Heys keeper White into the net for the decisive strike and the final action of the day as referee Lewis Royle blew for full time.

So, it was late joy for Ramsbottom United who were rewarded with a home tie with West Didsbury and Chorlton in the next round, but Heys will not be to disheartened with this defeat after going toe to toe for long periods against a side currently second in the North West Counties Premier Division and they will go into Tuesdays home League game with Pilkington with heads very much still head high.

TEAM: Lee White, Joseph Camozzi, Luke Findlow, James Badrock (Capt.), David Badrock, Joshua Tinker, Mworina Doro, Nicholas Dre Taylor, Louis Holt, Alfie Belcher, Takura Sambizi Subs: Luke Byron (for Belcher 70 mins), Bryson Appleton (for Sambizi 70 mins), Lucas Bancroft (for Camozzi 75 mins), David Kerrigan (for Holt 88 mins), Jace Osborne (for Doro 83 mins)